According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a serious public health problem in the United States. Each year, traumatic brain injuries contribute to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability. The CDC reports that, on average, approximately 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury annually.
Through the TBI Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-166), Congress first charged the CDC with “determining the incidence and prevalence of traumatic brain injury in all age groups in the general population of the United States.” In response, CDC has produced, Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States: Emergency Department Visits, Hospitalizations and Deaths 2002-2006.
Key findings from the CDC report show that, of the estimated 1.7 million people who sustain a TBI annually, 52,000 die, 275,000 are hospitalized, and 1.365 million are treated and released from an emergency department. TBI is a contributing factor to a third (30.5%) of all injury-related deaths in the United States. The CDC report also found that children aged 0 to 4 years, older adolescents aged 15 to 19 years, and adults aged 65 years and older are most likely to sustain a TBI.
Myriads of protective helmets and other protective devices have been developed to prevent or reduce TBI. Generally, protective helmets include a hard outer shell made of plastic or metal, and an inner cushion material made of foam. The configurations of the hard outer shell and the foam inner cushion vary to balance factors including performance, style, cost and comfort.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a novel approach to improving the performance of protective helmets and other protective devices using configurations of frangible energy absorbing materials. Embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in sporting goods including helmets, padding and the like, military armor, vehicle bumpers and doors/body panels, footwear, product packaging and other protective devices configured to absorb impact forces.